teachers and the school was a part of the temple. In India the trust in
the teacher was so great that the parents gave over their sons
completely to him for many years, and teacher and students lived
together as a family. Because this happy relation should be brought
back again, I put Love first among the Qualifications which a teacher
ought to have. If India is to become again the great nation which we all
hope to see, this old happy relation must be re-established.




I. LOVE


My Master taught me that Love will enable a man to acquire all other
qualities and that "all the rest without it would never be sufficient."
Therefore no person ought to be a teacher--ought to be allowed to be a
teacher--unless he has shown in his daily life that Love is the
strongest quality of his nature. It may be asked: How are we to find out
whether a person possesses Love to a sufficient degree to make him
worthy to be a teacher? Just as a boy shows his natural capacities at an
early age for one profession or another, so a particularly strong
love-nature would mark a boy out as specially fitted to be an
instructor. Such boys should be definitely trained for the office of the
teacher just as boys are trained for other professions.

Boys who are preparing for all careers live a common life in the same
school, and they can only become useful to the nation as men, if their
school life is happy. A young child is naturally happy, and if that
happiness is allowed to go on and grow in the school, and at home, then